Moree triathlete Justin Barnes will be putting himself through hell – Goondiwindi’s Hell of the West Triathlon, that is – this Sunday, February 4.
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This will be the second time Barnes has made the trip up north to compete in what’s known as Queensland’s toughest triathlon.
“I would have done it about three years ago,” he said.
“It’s challenging. It’s a pretty long event.
“It was pretty cool when I did it three years ago.
“This year won’t be too hot either.
“Heat is the biggest challenge up there.”
The Hell of the West, which doubles as race 12 of the 2017/18 Nissan State Series and the Queensland Long Course Championships, consists of a murky 2km swim in the Macintyre River, followed by a flat 80km bike ride along the Barwon Highway, and finishes with a hot as hell 20km run along the town’s river path.
While Barnes, who has been competing in triathlons for the past seven or eight years, has been training for Hell of the West, he said he’s probably not as prepared as he should be.
“I do a bit of everything every day – riding, running or swimming, sometimes twice a day,” Barnes said of his training schedule.
“I’m a little bit worried about the swim; I haven’t done as much swimming as I should have lately.
“This will be the first time I’ve swam in the river. The last time it was flooding so we couldn’t swim in it.”
The swim will consist of a 1km upstream and then a 1km downstream return.
Barnes is a member of the Moree Services Cycle and Triathlon Club and was one of eight local triathletes to compete in the half ironman event in Moolooba in September last year.
He said he was hoping he’d retain his fitness from the half ironman, but doesn’t think that’s the case following the Christmas and New Year period.
“I think I’ll be a bit slower than I was a few years ago but hopefully I should get through it,” Barnes said.
I think I’ll be a bit slower than I was a few years ago but hopefully I should get through it.
- Justin Barnes
The thought of winning the Hell of the West is only in the mind of a select few; for most competitors, like Barnes, the only thought is finishing such a demanding test of endurance.
“I just want to finish with a bit of dignity,” Barnes said.
“I reckon I’ll be around five, five and a half hours.”
The main race will start in the early hours of Sunday morning on the banks of the Macintyre River.
